Monday, November 30, 2015

Last day of November 2015....needless to say as I approach 67 years old next March, the old adage that "Time Flies, especially when you grow old{er}" is certainly true. Also true that wounds and illness take longer to heal...in my case, I always{at least the last 20 years or so} have prided myself in trying to stay fit and healthy...however since the Motorcycle Adventure in Moab back in March of this year, it has been a battle...several bouts of colds, sore ligaments, and other aches and pains...some from falling down{s} in Moab, others just unhealthy eating, drinking to

much beer, and plain growing old.After the Vietnam Reunion in Kokomo in September, I came down with a cold{my 3rd or 4th one of the calendar year} which turned into Bronchitis....or so it seemed, now here it is 2 full months later, and despite a visit to my Nurse Practitioner for a round of Antibiotics and a bottle of Steroid Nose Drops...while those helped and I have felt better, on and off...the effcts are still there, as the NP told me...."Pat, you've never been 66 1/2 years old before"....I took that to mean, "You Old Fart, You Need to Watch Out for Your Health"...With Football Season Officiating finished, and Basketball having began, I will continue to fight through this....but being the ego driven person I am{refusing to admit I am getting old, damn old} I am not pleased with the situation...but will get back to drinking less beers, sleep has not been a problem, so will continue to with that routine....however I do need to get back to working out on a more frequent basis. Sure officiating keeps me moving, but I need to get outdoors more, despite the increase in cold weather, and the damn Bronchitis. Motorcycle riding may be done for a few more months....but getting out and moving in the fresh air is something I need to continue. I am afraid I cannot do much about the aches and pains of being an active "Old Fart", except for self medication....

2015 despite the aches, and illnesses has been an active year and I plan on continuing that active life in 2016 if the good Lord lets me....Motorcycle riding in the Desert and Mountains of Utah, the Northwoods and trails of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, and the Hills of Southeast Ohio and Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia pushed the small TW motorcycle towards 5000 miles this calendar year, and I have plans to put that many on again next riding season.....time will tell if the weather and my body will let me...add that to the 150-175 High School baseball, basketball, and football games I am scheduled to officiate, this soon~to~be 67 year old plans on staying busy if at all possible.

As for the rest of 2015? Basketball to Ref....an annual Christmas Train Ride with the Grandson's this coming weekend in southern Ohio, Christmas Eve with the family at Sister #1's place{we had Thanksgiving with 17 at our place this last Thursday} and the annual Bowlfest at Rick's place in Indiana on New Years Day......once that is finished, I will gear myself towards the beginning of riding season Next March and Baseball Umpire work late the same month....Not sure where I will ride this coming year, Moab is on the schedule again in March, early March, the cabin has been secured, but I may change that and head south to ride the Everglades in late February.....it's all still up in the air, but if I am alive and kicking and can see and walk, you can bet I will be out and about....67 years old be damn!Photos-top to bottom...Pecker Pass Moab Utah, Nick, Kurt, and Me on return for the early November ride to West Virginia, Growing Old but not Dead{yet}, The Grandsons K~Man and Kam~Man and New Years Day at Rick's Ranch in LaOtto, Indiana, Person, me, and Clint, about the only times we get together these days....New Years Day and Michigan Mushroom Hunting in May...

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Old buddy Nick and new friend for the past year, Borneo....who has done more adventuring, including International Mountain Climbing in his life than I would want to or could, in 3 lifetimes, decided to make one final Dual Sport Run before the cold weather moved in to stay for the next four months....So the first day of November, a Sunday, Borneo{Kurt} left from his ranch near Auburn, Indiana, and we met at Nick's place on the southside of Grand Lake....and off we headed, not sure where we would end up, but we took some back roads before I hooked us up with St Rt 29 and we blew past Sidney and continued south and east, before picking up Ohio 56 east of Urbana....we were heading towards Athens, where Nick and I had roomed together at Ohio University, while attending Hocking Technical College back in the Mid 1970s....Athens, despite it's brain dead Liberal residents, was fun those days 40 years ago....but no downtown visit was in store, we were more interested in a meal and a motel, arriving in the dark, we managed to find both. Sadly the Mexican Restaurant we dined at...didn't sell beer or alcohol at all, I did finally pick up a six pack of Extra Stout and downed a couple while watching the final game of the World Series and back and forth with Sunday Night Football.Fog greeted us the next morning{Monday} at our Motel 8...we delayed awhile our trip towards Marietta, Ohio on the Ohio River, but not for long and we headed the back roads and by~ways towards what we hoped would be a ferry crossing at the tiny berg of Fly, Ohio.....foiled we were, the ferry doesn't cross on Monday. Only 4 days a week, it seems they need a extra "Captain"...anybody interested in a part time job?So we bridged it into West Virginia by Monday Afternoon, and spent the next 24 hours riding the routes and runs of the Mountaineer State...a great ride it was, with another Motel 8 stop in Weston, West Virginia....By Tuesday Afternoon, we were back in Ohio, and took the Ohio River Road towards our Tuesday Night destination, the city of Chillicothe....where we moteled it one final night before heading home on a cloudy Wednesday.All in all the 72 hours or so was done in great weather, a couple of cool mornings, especially Tuesday in Weston, where we started out in 37 degrees, as well as the fog in the Athens area...the trip itself was great, even the mud fill "run" along a railroad track, where we were greeted by a train...no disasters, although Nick did come close when taking a curve down a West Virginny Mountain road a bit to fast...but he pulled out of it in fine style.So now home, we have chains to change and some work to do on the TWs{I already have changed out the bent gear shift lever, for a parking lot laydown along the Ohio}....Borneo by the way was riding his new purchase a 400cc Suzuki and despite his better{much better} riding skills, I thought the Jeep like TWs did a great job, off and on road.Probably the TW riding days will be few and far between from now to the next Moab trip in March....back later>>>>>>Photos from the Trip.....{1} Borneo in Central West Virginia along Indian Trail Run Road{2} Covered Bridge on Rt 26 north of Marietta, Ohio, {3} Monday morning Fog near Strouds Run, east of Athens, Ohio...{4}Nick checking out the local train off route 20 in WVa in our lone "off road" portion of the ride...{5} A Tuesday stop at Cox Mills, West VA....{6} We arrived back at Nick's early Wednesday afternoon for a BS session and a few beers...left to right: Nick, Borneo, and PRH